Recommendations of Rajya Sabha Secretariat

Rajya Sabha: Relevance

• GS 2: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.

Upper house of India: Context

• Recently, Rajya Sabha Secretariat has suggested a series of recommendations to make a complete overhaul of Rajya Sabha Secretariat.

Rajya Sabha secretariat: Key points

• Rajya Sabha Secretariat came into being with about 200 officers and staff in 1952 and has now been expanded to 1,700 personnel.
• The first ever comprehensive study on ‘System Improvement’ in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat has recommended delivery of services in a transparent, monitorable and accountable manner.
• The study also covered the functioning of the committee sections and recommended increasing of the tenure of the Standing Committees from present one year to two years.
• The study has also demanded a makeover for quick decision-making and delivery of services in a transparent, monitorable and accountable manner.
• Besides, the study also recommended that the field visits should be increased to three visits for a maximum 15 days from two visits and ten days in a year.
• Moreover, it also wanted memoranda furnished by various stakeholders should be made available in public domain.
• A standard structure of report has also been suggested for easy understanding.
• To address complaints that media do not cover Standing Committee reports adequately, it is suggested that panel chairpersons hold press conferences.
• The study also suggested clear delegation of administrative and financial powers so that about 75 per cent of the issues are disposed off at the lower and middle level.
• The report has also suggested that the existing 10-layer hierarchy be subsumed into four to five layers.
• The report also wanted clear definition of mandate of each of the 64 sections and their reorganization into 14 divisions to avoid duplication of work.
• The financial power of divisional heads, who hold the rank of Joint Secretary, has been recommended to be increased from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh with corresponding increase at the lower levels.
• To enable work environment and camaraderie among the employees, the report recommended adequate provisioning of IT gadgets, work space, residential accommodation, regular socio-cultural events and a quarterly news letter.

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